Stone masonry in Lincoln CA - worn joints fixed without tearing out the whole wall
Mortar crumbling out of your stone wall, or a new wall in mind? We fix what's worn and set new stone so it sits right.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Does your stone wall need repair, or is it time for new stone?
Stone masonry in Lincoln means setting natural stone, either as a stone face over an existing wall or as rock walls that hold back a slope, and repairing older stone so it stays tight. Sometimes that's a new wall. Often it's just the worn joints.
Most people call because mortar is sanding out between the stones, a rock has worked loose, or they want a new wall or a stone front on the house as part of stone veneer installation. The price moves with how much stone there is, whether it's repair or new work, how tall the wall runs and how hard it is to get material to the spot. The schedule mostly turns on whether the job is big enough to need a city permit and plan review. I look at it in person, and the estimate tells you what it needs, what can wait and what it costs.
How we handle stone masonry, repair or new
I start by working out why the stone failed, because if water is getting behind a wall and we only patch the face, somebody's back out there later. I learned to read old mortar running crews for another mason around here before I started this business in 2017, and plenty of stone work only needs the worn joints done. On a repair, we rake out the joints that have opened up or crumbled, pack them with fresh mortar and tool them to match the old ones, and we leave the sound joints alone. On new work, we dig out and prep the base, then set each stone so its weight sits on the ones below, turning and trimming it until it doesn't rock, and we clean the face as we go.
Stone often sits right next to brick, so if the chimney or the front of the house has the same sandy joints, we can take care of that with brick pointing on the same visit. When cracks in the stone line up with a corner of the house that's settling, the cause is likely underneath, and I'll want to look at foundation repair before we patch anything on the surface.
Dry stacked stone
The stones fit together with no mortar showing, so it suits a rustic garden wall or a low wall along a planting bed. Each rock is picked and turned until its weight, size and shape hold it in place.
Mortared stone
Mortar fills the joints for a tighter, more finished face, so it suits walls near the house, columns and stone faced over an existing wall. It's also the way to go when you want the joints to read as clean lines.
If a stone has come loose or a wall has started to lean, call (916) 587-8582 rather than waiting, because the gap usually grows each wet season.
What happens when you call about stone work in Lincoln?
Here's how a stone job runs with us, from the first call to walking the finished wall. I'm the one who comes out to look, and I'm on site while our crew does the work.
Call or send the form
Call (916) 587-8582 or send the form, and we'll set a time to come out. Photos of the stone, the wall height and any HOA rules help me show up ready.
I come out and look
I look the stone over myself and tell you what it needs and what can wait. The estimate lays out the work, the kind of stone and mortar, and the price, so you know what you're paying for.
We build it and walk it
If you go ahead, I run the job on site with our crew and walk the finished work with you. A larger project that needs a city plan check can sit in review for 2 to 6 weeks depending on its size, so we get that started first.
Get a stone masonry estimate at your property
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the stone and give you a free estimate with no obligation to book.
(916) 587-8582Stone masonry permits and rules in Lincoln
In Lincoln, the city's Building Division issues permits for retaining walls taller than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, the buried base the wall sits on. Shorter walls are exempt as long as they aren't holding back extra weight, like a driveway or a slope above them, or water, but they still have to meet HOA rules, city zoning and grading rules and other city ordinances, so check with your HOA before we pick a stone. When a wall does need a permit, we pull it, set up the inspections and tell you where it stands before work starts, and the city inspects before grout goes into the masonry. The city also requires any contractor working here to hold a current city business license, carry workers' comp and be bonded. We're licensed and insured.
We're based in Lincoln and work across the cities around it. A lot of what we see is older stone where the mortar has sanded out but the stones are still tight, and newer homes where the HOA has a say in how the front looks. We see the same mix on jobs in Rocklin and Loomis, and we handle it the same way, joints first if that's all it needs.
Stone masonry questions from Lincoln homeowners
How much does stone masonry cost in Lincoln, CA?
Stone veneer installation in the Sacramento area usually runs about $3,000 to $10,000 per job, which is what the market charges for a stone face over a wall, not our price. A repair that only needs the worn joints done costs differently, and so does a tall new wall, so the estimate after I see your stone is the number to plan on. Our work is satisfaction guaranteed.
Should I repoint my stone wall or leave it alone?
If the mortar is still firm and has worn back no more than about a third of an inch, you can usually leave it alone. That's guidance from a historic preservation office in another state, and it says only joints that are open, cracked, pulling away or worn in deep need repointing, which means raking them out and packing in fresh mortar. I'll tell you if only a few joints need it and when the rest can wait.
What is the best mortar for repairing an old stone wall?
The best repair mortar is one that lets moisture leave the wall, because mortar that traps water or vapor inside ends up damaging the stones themselves. Ask any mason how their mix lets the wall dry out. We pick the mortar for your wall after we see what the old mortar is like.
Can dry stack stone be used outdoors in Lincoln?
Usually, yes, it's worth considering here. One stone industry guide says dry-stack veneer with open joints works indoors or in warm places where it doesn't freeze, and Lincoln's design rules list no frost line or snow load. I'll go over whether that look or mortared stone suits your wall when I come out.
Does a small stone repair need a licensed contractor in California?
Often it does. California requires a contractor license for minor work even under $1,000 when the job needs a permit of any kind, or when the person doing it hires workers. You can look up any contractor's license with the Contractors State License Board.
What causes stones to come loose in a stone wall?
Usually it's water. Rain gets into worn joints or behind the wall and washes out the mortar, and a stone that's lost its bed starts to rock, though roots and a bump from a mower or a car can do it too. That's why I find where the water is coming from before we reset anything.
Related brick and foundation work
If your chimney or brick front shows the same sandy, crumbling joints as your stone, fresh pointing keeps water out of the brick before it loosens.
Stepped cracks running through stone and brick near a corner often start underneath, so it pays to check the foundation before you repair the face.
Call about your stone wall today
We pick up seven days a week from 7 AM to 11 PM, so you can call (916) 587-8582 after work and set up a time for me to come look.